Week of June 24 Cable News Ratings: Presidential Debate Lifts CNN to Its Best Week of 2024

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of June 24, 2024.

CNN enjoyed one of the best weeks in its history thanks to hosting the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season. The network finished the week as one of the top three outlets in primetime and total day in total viewers as well as the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo.

Fox News and MSNBC also had good weeks due to the debate, with FNC seeing its best performance since the 2022 midterm elections. Compared to the previous week, all networks will saw significant gains as a result of airing the match-up between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump and all the coverage surrounding it.

NETWORKS:

Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of June 24 saw FNC average 2.957 million total viewers and 407,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. That translates to gains of +46% and +91%, respectively. In total day, Fox News averaged 1.573 million total viewers and 206,000 demo viewers for respective gains of +26% and +45% compared to the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, Fox News was No. 1 in total primetime viewers and remained in third place in the demo. In total day, it continued to lead in total viewers and was repeated at second in the demo.

MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 1.289 million total viewers and 145,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo. The network saw respective week-to-week gains of +35% and +75% compared to the week prior. In total day, MSNBC averaged 769,000 total viewers and 84,000 demo viewers for gains of +14% in the former category and +31% in the latter.

Turning to the cable charts, MSNBC remained in third place in total primetime viewers and jumped from 22nd to 9th place in the demo. During total day, it was the No. 2 network in total viewers and tied for eighth place in the demo with HGTV and Investigation Discovery, up from 14th place the previous week.

By far, the biggest beneficiary of the presidential debate was CNN, which averaged 1.394 million total primetime viewers and 411,000 A25-54 viewers. That’s a respective triple-digit spike of 200% and 434% compared to the previous week. In total day, the network scored 565,000 total viewers and 129,000 viewers in the demo for week-to-week gains of +47% in total viewers and +87%, respectively.

CNN was the No. 2 network in primetime with total viewers and in the demo, up from 11th place in the former category and 24th place in the latter. It leapfrogged into third place in total day viewers and total day demo, rising from fifth place and 12th place, respectively.

When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago:

• During primetime, Fox News was up by +109% in total viewers and +197% in the A25-54 demo. In total day, the network saw gains of +46% in total viewers and +67% in the demo.
• MSNBC’s saw a lift of +9% in primetime total viewers and +27% in the demo. During total day, the network was down by -2% and flat in those respective categories.
• In primetime, CNN saw massive gains, rising +144% in total viewers and +229% in the demo. During total day, CNN scored year-to-year gains of +24% and +43%, respectively.

PROGRAMMING:

Outside of simulcasting CNN’s Presidential Debate, Fox News had 12 out of the 15 most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five (3.313 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET) taking the top spot. MSNBC took the remaining three spots, led by Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace (1.295 million viewers at 4 p.m. ET) coming in at No. 13.

Hannity (440,000 viewers at 9 p.m. ET) was the top program in the A25-54 demo, with FNC scoring 13 of the top 15 cable news shows overall. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (228,000 viewers at 8 p.m. ET) appeared in 7th place and Erin Burnett OutFront (149,000 views at 7 p.m. ET) ranked 15th.

Week of June 24 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen Live+SD data):